The present invention relates to a coin selector in use for automatic vending machines, and more particularly to improvements of the coin selector.
A prior coin selector for automatic vending machines is provided with a mechanism for judging whether a coin inserted from a coin slot and guided along a coin rail is true or false and another mechanism for selectively guiding the coin thus judged into a corresponding coin chute, i.e., a true coin chute or a false coin chute by controlling a gate lever. The false coin so judged is guided from a distal end of the coin rail to the false coin chute by the gate lever. Therefore, between the coin rail and the false coin chute, there must be provided a clearance to be determined so as to allow the passage of a false coin which would have the maximum diameter. The presence of the clearance hinders reduction of a height of the coin selector, and restricts a height of a change tube disposed in the lower part of the coin selector. This results in that the change tube is capable of containing an insufficient amount of change coin.